Denmark must up tempo for World Cup decider, says boss Age Hareide

Posted Tuesday, November 14, 2017 by Skysports.com

Denmark must be sharper when they take on the Republic of Ireland in their World Cup decider on Tuesday, says manager Age Hareide.

Denmark travel to Ireland in the second leg of their play-offs with the tie finely poised, after the teams played out a 0-0 draw in Copenhagen on Saturday.

In a tight encounter, there were limited chances for either side, and Hareide insists his men must up their tempo in their quest for a potentially crucial away goal at the Aviva Stadium.

"We just have to continue after the game in Copenhagen," he said.

"We'll try to get a goal - that is our main goal. If we get one goal they have to score two.

"I think we have to speed up our passing. We just have to try high speed, and less touches on the ball."

The Denmark manager feels confident his team will find the breakthrough but admits they must be more clinical going forward, if they are to break down a tight reland set-up.

"We have to take the game to Ireland and try and get through," Hareide added.

"We had the possibility to score in Copenhagen and I'm sure we are going to have it again. We had the ball a lot and we created chances enough to get a goal, but sometimes you don't succeed.

"We will come out and try to play, try to create chances and try to win.

"They [Republic of Ireland] keep the team very tight. They don't increase the space - they make it as narrow as possible.

"They are good at that. That's part of the game. All credit to Ireland for that."

Should the game reach extra time, Hareide claims Denmark have the fight and spirit to deal with the pressure but says they must not rely on key players to carry the weight against Martin O'Neill's men.

Christian Eriksen scored eight goals for Denmark in qualification - more than any other midfielder in the UEFA standings - but was restricted to few chances in front of goal in their first-leg draw.

"I think there are more players in our group that are used to playing tight matches... our players are used to that," Hareide added.

"I think we need more from everyone.

"It's not only Christian's responsibility, but we need more from everyone to win the game."